South Jersey’s Top Five Irish Bars… What’s Number One?

March is the time for St. Patrick’s Day Parades, corned beef and cabbage, the wearing of the green, and, of course, fun times with good Irish food and drink at an authentic Irish Pub! With St. Patty’s Day fast approaching, I made it my mission to seek out the five best Irish bars in Atlantic and Cape May …Counties, South Jersey. It’s a tough job, but it had to be done and so I did it.

I visited all of the bars you’ll see in my top five and did my best to sample their food and drink…to verify their authenticity of course. Anything for my job. Each of these bars offers plenty of Irish beverages and a varying amount of real Irish food. It’s not unusual to find other types of food of some of their menu’s as well. It was almost necessary to disqualify one bar for listing an “Italian Hoagie” next to the Shepperd’s Pie and beef stew on it’s menu. Such indiscretions were eventually overlooked because of the overall Irish look and feel of the pub.

All of this week’s top five picks have big plans for March 17th, with some planning month-long celebrations of all things Irish. I came away with the impression that you could have a fine time Celebrating St Patty in any of the bars you’ll read about in the top five.

I hope you take the time to try a least a couple of these fine Irish establishments as part of your St Patrick’s Day celebration, and, as the Irish say, “May your glass be ever full. May the roof over your head be always strong. And may you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you’re dead.”

Number One: The Irish Pub, 164 St. James Place at the Boardwalk, Atlantic City (609)344-9063

It's a little like St. Patrick's Day every day at the famed Irish Pub- an Atlantic City institution. The Irish Pub has gained acclaim over the years for being a favorite haunt for celebrities as diverse as George Carlin and the Yankee Clipper, Joe DiMaggio. The Irish Pub just feels like Ireland! Open and serving food 24 hours a day, you can have an affordable meal and try a Harp, Killian's or Murphy's on tap while taking in the ambiance and the beautiful traditional mahogany bar. The Irish Pub has been called "America's Greatest Pub" in reviews by major magazines, and you'll get no disagreement from me. If you can't make it on St. Patrick's Day, you can go anytime and have your own St. Patty's Day celebration. That's why I picked them as the Number One Irish Bar in South Jersey! By the way, they also feature a Victorian Inn upstairs.